May open lower, China trade data weighs

* World stocks paused near a six-year peak and commoditiesfrom copper to crude tumbled on Monday as surprisingly weakChinese trade data rattled investors already on edge over thecrisis in Ukraine.

* China's exports unexpectedly tumbled in February, swingingthe trade balance into deficit and adding to fears of a slowdownin the world's second-largest economy despite the Lunar New Yearholidays being blamed for the slide.

* Germany's Angela Merkel delivered a rebuke to PresidentVladimir Putin on Sunday, telling him that a plannedMoscow-backed referendum on whether Crimea should join Russiawas illegal and violated Ukraine's constitution.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

* Canada stock futures traded down 0.15 percent

* U.S. stock futures , , were lower

* European shares, were up

COMMODITY PRICE MOVES

* Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB Index : 306.4117;fell 0.48 percent

* Gold futures : $1336.9; fell 0.09 percent

* US crude : $101.35; fell 1.2 percent

* Brent crude : $108.06; fell 0.86 percent

* LME 3-month copper : $6655; fell 1.87 percent

CANADIAN STOCKS TO WATCH

* Royal Bank of Canada : A Delaware judge said thebank should be held liable to former shareholders of Rural/MetroCorp because it failed to disclose conflicts of interest thattainted the $438 million buyout of the ambulance operator.

ON THE CALENDAR

* Major Canadian data include housing starts

* No major U.S. data scheduled for release

For a summary of research actions on Canadian companiesreported by Reuters -